Problem with Workbench_134.adf from Amiga Forever 7

I have found the following issue with the 1.3.4 Workbench Disk from Amiga Forever 7:

When Starting this disk in emulator using default settings (Compatibility custom) of Amiga Forever 7 the ADF is starting fine.

If I set the compatibility to (slow best) or use an original Amiga 500 the Workbench does not start.

I get an Error:

Software error - task held
Finish ALL disk activty
Select CANCEL to reset/debug

When clicking on CANCEL I get the following red Guru Meditation:

Software Failure. Press left mouse button to continue.
Guru Meditation #00000003.0000A708

If I use the adf disk from Amiga Forever 2016 the 1.3.4 disk works both on real and emulated amiga with slow(best) compatibility.

When looking into the disk I seet that the startup sequence in the new disk has changed but I don't see here what might is causing the problem.

I tried to get an answer from Cloanto support but nothing happens since months. I tried the Facbook page and support which only sends me a standart answe that I should contact the support via their Webpage.

It would be great if someone can help me to find the root cause of the disk Issue.

kind regards

Juliane

[prowler]

Please do not upload or attach copyrighted Workbench disk or Kickstart ROM images to your posts.

Check the Rules & Help.

[emufan]

the disks are different. I can reproduce the behavior with winuae 3.6.0 beta 7
quickstart a500

they added some stuff into the startup-sequence of AF7:

;BEGIN AF-Shared
C:GetHostVar >T:ExecuteFromHost.bat AF-Execute
If NOT WARN
  C:Execute T:ExecuteFromHost.bat
Else
  C:Assign >NIL: AF-Application: EXISTS
  If NOT WARN
    If EXISTS AF-Application:S/user-startup
      C:Execute AF-Application:S/user-startup
      If NOT EXISTS AF-Application:S/NoShutdown
        C:Shutdown
      EndIf
    EndIf
  EndIf
EndIf

C:Delete >NIL: T:ExecuteFromHost.bat
;END AF-Shared

if you comment out the following lines, it does load the workbench:

;; C:GetHostVar >T:ExecuteFromHost.bat AF-Execute

;;  C:Execute T:ExecuteFromHost.bat

C:GetHostVar is an amiga binary, some readable text is this:

$VER: GetHostVar 1.1 retroplatform.  uae.resource  uaelib_demux

so I would conclude: skip the AF7 disk and use the old from 2016

Originally Posted by prowler

Please do not upload or attach copyrighted Workbench disk or Kickstart ROM images to your posts.

Check the Rules & Help.

Sorry was a mistake I took the wrong files, I only wanted to upload the zipped startup files to get some help to ananlyse where my problem could be located.

/Juliane

Originally Posted by emufan

the disks are different. I can reproduce the behavior with winuae 3.6.0 beta 7
quickstart a500

I saw that they did some chnages in the startup sequence, and indeed it works with your change.

But what might really cause this strange behaviour. Working with less compatibility creates trouble...

I would have expected that the problem would show up on a less compatible mode then on the best compatibility or on an original Amiga.

/Juliane

[prowler]

Originally Posted by juliane2006

Sorry was a mistake I took the wrong files, I only wanted to upload the zipped startup files to get some help to ananlyse where my problem could be located.

/Juliane

Thanks for explaining your mistake. Your apology is accepted.

You may still attach the startup files if you wish by editing your opening post.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by juliane2006

I tried to get an answer from Cloanto support but nothing happens since months. I tried the Facbook page and support which only sends me a standart answe that I should contact the support via their Webpage.

...extremely surprised that they didn't assist you in regards to their own product's failure (that you paid good money for)

<no, not really; typical Cloanto>

I have finally found the configruation in the emulator which causes the crash.

If you disable the checkbox for HOST IO (which can onyl be done when disbaling mouse as well) Workbench stops with the guro meditation.

When going over and over agin through the Startup Sequence I don't see which command will depend on this option.

Here is the startup Sequence:
------------------------------
; $VER: startup-sequence 34.35 (15.01.15)
;
; Amiga Forever Classic Support edition © Cloanto ® 1997-2015
; cloanto.com/kb/16-123

C:SetPatch >NIL: ; Patch system functions
AddBuffers DF0: 10

MakeDir RAM:T
Assign T: RAM:T

;BEGIN AF-Shared
C:GetHostVar >T:ExecuteFromHost.bat AF-Execute
If NOT WARN
C:Execute T:ExecuteFromHost.bat
Else
C:Assign >NIL: AF-Application: EXISTS
If NOT WARN
If EXISTS AF-Application:S/user-startup
C:Execute AF-Application:S/user-startup
If NOT EXISTS AF-Application:S/NoShutdown
C:Shutdown
EndIf
EndIf
EndIf
EndIf

C:Delete >NIL: T:ExecuteFromHost.bat
;END AF-Shared

CD C:
Echo "Amiga Workbench Disk. Release 1.3.3 version 34.34"
SYS:System/FastMemFirst ; Move C00000 memory to last in list
BindDrivers
SetClock >NIL: LOAD ; Load system time from real time clock (A1000 owners should
; Replace the SetClock load with Date

Resident CLI L:Shell-Seg SYSTEM PURE ADD ; Activate Shell
Resident C:Execute PURE
Mount NEWCON:
;
Failat 11
Run Execute S:StartupII ; This lets Resident be used for rest of script
Wait >NIL: 5 MINS ; Wait for StartupII to complete (will signal when done)
;
SYS:System/SetMap usa1 ; Activate the ()/* on keypad
Path RAM: C: SYS:Utilities SYS:System S: SYS:Prefs ADD ; Set path for Workbench

LoadWB DELAY ; Wait for inhibit to end before continuing
EndCLI >NIL:
--------------------------

As emufan already wrote the following two lines uncomment lets workbench start:

C:GetHostVar >T:ExecuteFromHost.bat AF-Execute
C:Execute T:ExecuteFromHost.bat

But what exacly do these two lines, when executing on the cli I don't get an error or see any results.

I don't see anything created on T: which I would expect due to the redirection of c:GetHostVar >T:ExecuteFromHost.bat...

Would be great to have an explanaition what exactly here happens.

On Cloanto Page I can only find the following:

Emulation-Specific Changes

Workbench 1.3 and 2.1 versions that are included in the emulation environment of Amiga Forever include the above modifications which are shared with the Classic Support series, plus some emulation-specific changes which are not part of the Classic Support series:

Added C/Shutdown command (for shutting down the session)
Added C/GetHostVar command (for passing data from host to guest)
Set default printer to EpsonQ (emulation has emulated EpsonQ printer)
Updated S/Startup-Sequence to support Cloanto S/AFShared-Startup
Updated S/Shell-Startup to support Cloanto UXCLI
Removed C/FF from 1.3 (due to known issues in emulation environments)

But that does not really helps me. for me It somehow looks like Bug which should be fixed by Cloanto.

/Juliane

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by juliane2006

But that does not really helps me. for me It somehow looks like Bug which should be fixed by Cloanto.

Ok, read through this thread: User disappointed without assistance...

...and specifically these posts; post #8 and post #10.

Then try sending mcp a PM

Good luck, and may the force be with you!!! Do please report back afterwards.

[teppic]

I found this problem too. The same occurs with the Workbench 1.3 hard drive file.

What's strange is if you save the config from AF and then load it directly into a normal version of WinUAE it works ok.

They should supply unmodified Workbench disks, since they are the only legal source. In order to get Workbench 1.3 running in WinUAE I had to download it from a non legal place, which defeats the point of paying the copyright holder for a copy!

[ptyerman]

Cloanto have been f*cking up the ROM's and Workbench more and more each release of AF. They really do need to supply original unmodified ADF's in Amiga Forever as well as the clusterf*cks they've created.
I won't be buying another AF release unless something magical is included that's for sure!

[teppic]

Do they modify the ROMs too?

I might just delete the AF ROMs and disks and use the ones I downloaded that are verified as accurate by TOSEC. I only bought AF for the disks/ROMs and to support them but if they are releasing broken stuff and not responding to support then I won't bother.

[ptyerman]

Yes they modify both, and making a worse job of it year after year!
Like you I bought AF to help support further development, but the way they have treated customers by ignoring them and totally messing up Workbench and the ROMs it's time to totally ignore them.

[Saghalie]

Try their facebook page as well

[Saghalie]

I realize this was a while ago, but I revisited it. I used the ADFs supplied from Cloanto
and was getting the same error here. But then I used the ADFs supplied from Hyperion
Entertainment and they work perfectly.

The only thing I can assume is that Cloanto has done something to the ADF that makes
it crash as it does. I do remember that there is a support article about adding workbench.library...
although I can't remember where that is.

EDIT:
I guess that library is for 3.1 roms only.